Is it just me, or do a lot of these threads - and information in general - confuse you? Some say that a certain food is good for you for one reason or another, and someone else says that that same food is not (i.e. the posts discussing Spinach from the "I'm too skinny what can I eat" thread). I was hooked into the BTD for the last few days, I called several ND's to make an appointment (I was so frustrated with conventional doctors) and one of my questions (I interviewed many) was do they support the BTD? I thought it would be easy to find one that did as it makes perfect sense to me; however, that was not the reaction I got (also surprised due to the fact that some of the ND's I found graduated from the University in Washington State, where Peter D'Adamo graduated from - if I read the book correctly). Many hesitated to answer that question and those that did said that it is a good diet; however, it is not for everyone - especially those with food sensitivities/allergies.

So what is one to do? You try to do the right thing, and then some publication comes out saying something to the contrary. I have gotten so desparate as conventional medicine has not helped my family (it has worked on temporarily relieving the symptoms, but does not get to the root of the problem) so I dove in head first researching alternative therapies. The more I read, the more confused I get as what one person says contradicts what another says.

At the moment, I have switched to eating all organic foods and cut out all refined, processed and "un-natural" foods. We all felt better. I then moved to the BTD, which was very restrictive in some ways (cut out all wheat and dairy products - at least the one's we use to enjoy) and OK in others (we got to eat meat, which all the doctor's have told us in the past to cut back on; and to find out that there are foods that we enjoy that act like medicine to our body! ).

To be honest, I'm worried about eating so much meat (we do like it and feel better when we eat it, but what if it is hurting our insides as some doctor's mention - i.e. heart disease, cancer, cholesterol, etc. - and we just don't know it yet?). Dr. D'Adamo recommended 5-HTP for carbohydrate cravings and now does not due to additional research. I know it is all "scientific" and science is not perfect and ever changing. I just want to do the right thing and am a bit frustrated that by doing so, I may hurt myself in the process.

I feel your frustration. There are so many different diet/health plans and of course they all have a Dr or scientist who has highly endorsed the book." Suzanne Somers" has the Sommersize diet with food combining and hormonal balance...Marilu Henner ( AKA Taxi) has all her plans with No sugar, white flour, no meat or dairy. and these books are well endorsed and they seem to work for them wonder what bloodtype they are??? My guess is that they are both A's...

Mom to 4 B's...living with extreme food allergies to wheat, all dairy, eggs and pineapple !! ( Me, not the kids..)

Hi Mlpaul,I'm glad you are posting, and expressing your thoughts and questions. This is very healthy in my opinion.As far as the different opinions expressed on the Forum, I think it's because there are so many of us. and the majority of us who are talking back and forth, are regular people with varying degrees of knowledge. We learn a lot from each other and sometimes disagree with each other, but for the most part, this Forum has been a great blessing for me. The bottom line for decision making always comes back to ourselves. So I may hear things that make sense to me, and then I can read more, research online or test things myself, and make my own decisions.By the way, the blood type diet never recommends that people eat things that they are allergic to, or have sensitivities to that are making them ill. However, after following the eating plan for ones own bloodtype, we very often find that we heal on so many different levels that sensitivities and "allergies" can disappear.

As far as disease and meats, Dr. D does suggest that we try and eat chemical-free meat, and especially free-range grass fed. These foods have a different effect on the body, due to an improved essential fatty acid balance that is similiar in many ways to cold water fish. In addition, he advises to eat lean cuts and remove visible fats. My cholesterol numbers improved significantly after about 1 year and a half of eating no avoids, and daily intake of lamb. LR4YT has some very helpful perspective on quantities and frequencies, which helps to fine tune one's own diet, along with exercise and stress reduction. This makes for a very well-balanced approach that is not extreme at all.Why not try it with a genuine effort for a couple of months and make your own decisions about how it effects you. I have found that most people who say that it doesn't work are not really following Dr. D's recommendations. They will eat a lot of the foods that he lists for their blood type, while continuing to eat avoids. The combination is not a fair representation of his philosophy.

Normal day, let me be aware of the treasure you are.Let me not pass you by in quest of some rare and perfect tomorrow.~Mary Jean Irion

So what is one to do? You try to do the right thing, and then some publication comes out saying something to the contrary. I have gotten so desparate as conventional medicine has not helped my family (it has worked on temporarily relieving the symptoms, but does not get to the root of the problem) so I dove in head first researching alternative therapies. The more I read, the more confused I get as what one person says contradicts what another says.

One thing is that remember that basically everyone outside the BTD world thinks that one-size-fits-all when it comes to diet/nutrition/health information. The BTD is about individuality. So you have to learn to filter everything you read through the BTD filter to see if it makes any sense at all for you and your type. Also you have to realize that all the studies that are done that don't include blood type as a factor are probably going to produce useless results for us.

The best thing I can recommend is read as much as you can about the BTD. All the books and info on Dr. D's website. This may not provide all the answers for you and your families health issues, but it will provide the proper foundation. Then you can consider additional approaches.

One thing that Dr. D and the BTD has taught me is that I am responsible for my health. My actions (like what I eat and drink, my exercise, and lifestyle) make a much bigger impact on my health then I ever thought before. I feel empowered by the knowledge.

I have been having the same thought as mlpaul, being fairly new myself. What if the short term effects are beneficial, but a lot of it due to just giving up on processed food especially sugar, but the long term effects cannot be seen until they are difficult to treat such as too high iron levels in a high beef diet? Who has been eatring this way for a long time (5 years +) and who has gained full health starting from chronic sickness?

Two people can say things that sound contradictory. They can both be right. They can both be wrong. They may be saying the same thing, something different or something unrelated.

In the long run we all have to make our own decisions. Part of that is our experience here on this site. Part of it is what we come across elsewhere. This is a relatively new science. It is still growing. If you want the results of 20 year studies, well, you'll have to wait about 20 years.

My feeling is that the BTD is the best of what is available with today's science. Tommorow BTD will change as new knowledge becomes available. There are no guarantees.

I am personally commited to the BTD for a variety of reasons. You will have to come to your own conclusions.

And yes, the posters here make mistakes sometimes in what they post. We are all learning.

...What if the short term effects are beneficial, but a lot of it due to just giving up on processed food especially sugar, but the long term effects cannot be seen until they are difficult to treat such as too high iron levels in a high beef diet?...

Everyone must walk the path they choose for themselves...even this diet as it is now, is fairly recent (particularly with the knowledge of secretor status)...So maybe the concept of a BTD was around far longer...but the benefits and testing could really only be realized recently.

Suffice to say that simply empowering oneself to control diet/health - rather than relying on others, you will be better off. How many years that humans (and all the other animals still do) have survived on this planet, and Allopathic doctors have really only been around several centuries at best.

Herr Schlüggell -- Establish a Garden; Cultivate Community. "To see things in the seed, that is genius. He who obtains has little. He who scatters has much. The way to do is to be." -Lao TzuBruno Manser, Ned Lud, August Sabbe, Richard St. Barbe-Baker, Eddie Koiki Mabo, Masanobu Fukuoka

Who has been eatring this way for a long time (5 years +) and who has gained full health starting from chronic sickness?

Hi Brenda I`ve done this diet /lifestyle 7 years this autumn and so has my daughter who turns 12 years old.My benefits even with stumble and falls along the path and not always a 100 % commitment has been to half my overweight - I still need some 30 pounds to go.Get rid off my ezema - get rid of 90 % of my allergic reaction - and no more upset bowels.I used to have a borderline high colesterol and it is perfect now- My doctor couldn´t believe it when I told him about my diet! and my low iron status has gone....

My daughter has spent more than half of her life on this diet and guess what :she has perfect health - growing healthy - good weight ( a bit thin at the moment- that is teen life - growing a bit to fast)No more constipation no more ezema. She is literally never sick : this winter her whole class and the teachers had areally mean flue... she was the ONLY one who didn´t get it !She follows the O diet but with the highest amount of grains - and a bit of cream in the weekend and some potaoes - but gets lots of veggie, fruits,eggs, fish and beef.

Even conventionel scientist are starting to talk about individualized health treatment and diets... so please try to find your path. among all the talk about healthy lifestyle..... I am not sure that BTD has reached its goal but it is in my opinion the best path at the moment!

Just a recent example: "Finally, the scientific community not only is recognizing the interindividual variation in dietary response and health but is also building the tools to measure it. Therefore, the influence of varying saturated fatty acid intakes against a background of different individual lifestyles and genetic backgrounds should also be considered"

I don't have much to add to this thread (which is quite good) except that sometimes NDs have the opposite of the 'not invented here' syndrome; which is actually the I 'can't believe that it has been invented here syndrome.'

A whole system is a living system is a learning system.â€™ -Stewart Brand

you ask about contradictions but assume that there is a security in science. This in itself is very difficult to face. We are not about being 'scientific' at all, but are involved in a massive chemical experiment. As one example: you choose to eat 'organic' .... why isn't all food organic and the 'best' for health?? why do we have GMO's; hybridized crops; junk food; medicine that is alien to your body ... and likely the 'smartest' group of our generation (our doctors), becoming (and endorsing) 'orthodoxy' which is this massive experiment.

the BTD is about being as my health was meant to be .... and shedding much junk in the process makes this controversial. There is so much more to change it isn't even funny .... read 'Lights Out' by TS Wiley to get such a beginning, then maybe 'Cross Currents' by Robert O. Becker .............. and you will become very leery of 'modern electrical devices' and their adverse impact on human health. [For instance such radiation can not only unravel but snip pieces of DNA into very small fragments. The fright over some folks developing leukemia is very real ... but we pay little attention, right!]

We are involved in a massive fight to find out and return too the human base ... I believe where much of our happiness lies .............. just yet, I am as yet, far from happy! I am supposed to be content with our world ... sorry I'm not! [Drugs - modern medicine - is just NOT part of this base.]

enough of a rant ................

John

“The object of life is not to be on the side of the majority but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane.” – Marcus Aurelius

Thank-you for your replies. John - I think I am at the point where you are now (or close). I do not microwave food anymore, I prepare all our meals (even our snacks) with natural, un-processed ingredients. I have cut back on our driving and now park at the back of parking lots so we can walk to the store; I have not turned the AC on in our car recently and we enjoy riding with the windows down (in 90 degree weather); I play games with the kids or let them play outside with their friends (in our yard where I can see them) instead of letting the TV/Playstation entertain them. I do feel like we have "gone back in time," and even more so with the BTD diet. I have found that rather than appearing "wierd," my kids friends are drawn to our new lifestyle. I do feel as if it is healthier for us and will help us.

I will admit that there are times - in the back of my mind - that I question some of the changes I've made in my following the BTD diet - not with the type/quality of food, but more with the quantity (mainly the large intake of meat. . . reading the reply that the grain-fed meat without growth hormones is more beneficial helped a lot - thank-you! That's all I buy now!).

Brenda - this is exactly what I was getting at. Although I feel the changes I'm making now are beneficial to my health and my families, will there be a cost in the future for what I'm doing now - THAT IS NOT YET KNOWN? The only reason I question this at all is each year a new "healthy way of eating" comes out, or a new insight into how to parent children for their future is published and a few years (or in some cases, many years) down the road, it is dissected and what was thought to be good is not. Most importantly, I can't find a MD/ND, or anyone - other than those on this forum - to support this!

Your responses to this are correct - it is our choice how to perceive the information that is thrown our way and whether or not we wish to pursue it. There is no right or wrong answer! We can't predict the future and our responsibility is dealing with what we are faced with now and the information we currently have. I guess what linked me into this "new way of eating" is that the logic around it has been around for centuries (and longer) and the fact that it is ingrained in some form or another in all the other diet books. I like your suggestion of "you have to learn to filter everything you read through the BTD filter to see if it makes any sense at all for you and your type". Thank-you, Thank-you, Thank-you!!!

Dr. D (and others): The big question. . . so how do you find a MD, ND, or SOMEONE to support the BTD or using natural remedies for chronic ailments? I have combed the websites in my area, asked my doctor, acquaintenances in the medical profession, have made several phone calls from lists received on the web or at Whole Foods (they have their own list) and have yet to find someone who will support me in what I'm trying to do. This message board is the closest I have come. Once one finds that one person, how do you get the insurance companies to help pay for it? These are my two goals and I have been VERY persistant (yes, I'm a type O with a type-A behavior - I will find someone and insurance WILL pay for it - it's only a matter of time ). I just need some help getting pointed in some kind of direction! Thank-you!

(also surprised due to the fact that some of the ND's I found graduated from the University in Washington State, where Peter D'Adamo graduated from - if I read the book correctly)

Everyone that graduates from a certain school does not automatically believe the same things. That is the beauty of education - it is not brainwashing.

Quoted from mlpaul

so how do you find a MD, ND, or SOMEONE to support the BTD or using natural remedies for chronic ailments? I have combed the websites in my area, asked my doctor, acquaintenances in the medical profession, have made several phone calls from lists received on the web or at Whole Foods (they have their own list) and have yet to find someone who will support me in what I'm trying to do.

I can't tell from what you've written here if you've used the database of BTD practitioners on this website.

If not, try that. If so, then perhaps you are just going to have to find the best ND you can, one to whom you can relate and will accept that you follow the BTD. NDs are trained to understand and accept many different modalities, so that should not be too difficult. Also, while the BTD is an excellent system, it is not the be-all and end-all of health information and you should not limit your knowledge to it alone. A good practitioner can expose you to other information that you wouldn't necessarily be able to get elsewhere.

I did check out the database and found 2 close to where I live. I called and have not been able to get in touch with them (one has a wrong number). I will e-mail. I was a bit curious about what their primary focus was. It looks like one is a massage therapist and, well, not sure about the other one. What exactly does the "IfHI Fellow" mean?

You try to do the right thing, and then some publication comes out saying something to the contrary. I have gotten so desparate as conventional medicine has not helped my family (it has worked on temporarily relieving the symptoms, but does not get to the root of the problem) so I dove in head first researching alternative therapies. The more I read, the more confused I get as what one person says contradicts what another says.

You do not trust conventional medicine, but you do trust conventional media? I'm not sure what publications you are reading, but as a consumer (and not a health professional) you are limited in your access to the best info, quite frankly. You can read professional journals, textbooks, etc. but many of these will cost money and without a basic knowledge level you might not be able to understand them in the depth that a practitioner could.

Be very careful about your sources, and the sources of information here on this forum. The people here are incredibly friendly and helpful, but you should be cautious about medical advice from non-professionals. You can use much of the information on this forum (usually personal experience) to understand your own issues, but when someone makes a statement, make sure it is backed up.

A few good websites and why:The World's Healthiest Foods - Supported by Dr. Joseph Pizzorno, a foremost ND and researcher and respected by Dr. D. Dr. Pizzorno spoke at the last IfHI conference in 2005.

I did check out the database and found 2 close to where I live. I called and have not been able to get in touch with them (one has a wrong number). I will e-mail. I was a bit curious about what their primary focus was. It looks like one is a massage therapist and, well, not sure about the other one. What exactly does the "IfHI Fellow" mean?

Check out my previous post - I linked to the 2007 IfHI conference page. Practitioners who have passed an exam administered by Dr. D and the IfHI are certified representatives of the BTD.

You are right about the terminology used in some of the information. I have had a hard time reading/following some things in LR4YT, some of the posts on this forum, some literature found on the internet, etc. This is why I am desparately trying to find a doctor who can help me digest the information that's out there and help me find a path that pulls together the information I've read, what I've seen within my body and how it reacts (and those in my family), with their knowledge and understanding (which I have to assume is much greater than mine), and the intermixing of natural and conventional medicines - if needed.

Good news. . . I think I've found an ND that is in my area!!! Also - at my children's well visit yesterday (with the sole purpose of having them tested for blood type), they saw a new doctor who did not react negatively to what I was saying! Hopefully, this is a turn in the right direction!

mlpaul, I hope you have finally found someone w/ whom you will be comfortable and that will help you and your family re: BTD. It is tough and especially to find someone that ins will pay for. My NP is a very intelligent man. Constantly amazes me in the things he knows about the intricate ins and outs of our bodies. However, he is against BTD. We had a brief discussion about this and that has been that. I listen very carefully to what he has to say. What he says contradicting BTD gets tossed. (Back to the filtering comment ) It amazes me that he doesn't even give BTD a chance, given the fact he has 2 big growths, one on his nose and one behind his ear. Which tells me he is eating something (and I suspect white potatoes are one huge problem as he readily recommends them to everyone for a good source of potassium) he shouldn't be or not eating something he should be and truthfully, it's probably both. He's strictly against all this hullibalu about meds being the only answer, yet doesn't see that there could be merit to BTD. On the other hand , he has lots of answers about other problems. So I have to take the "good w/ the bad", sort thru it, keep what I feel it right, toss out the rest. As do we all.

At 100% compliance, I had all sinus issues (many), migraines, all digestive disorders (many) and all arthritis like pains (many)to disappear. I took no meds or supps (other than my thryoid med, which I've been on for over 20 yrs - no gettin off that at this moment, but maybe in time). Purely the change in what I ate made all the difference. As time goes on, I am finding which neutrals don't agree w/ me. It's all a matter of paying strict attn to how your body reacts to each food. Process of elimination. Before BTD, I didn't have a clue as to why my stomach hurt all the time or why I was constipated alot. Once I read the book and got some understanding, things made perfect sense. I expect to be eating BTD the rest of my life. It is even more important if you have health issues.

As Dr. D and his father have been doing this research for some I believe 40 years (combo), and upon lots of reading, I see more and more the "scientific" results of their research. Please continue reading anything you can get your hands on here. You will be continuously amazed.

I have been so inspired by all I've read here that I recently purchased Guyton's Textbook of Physiology. Just makes me want to dig, dig and learn more. It is like a breath of fresh air each and every time I read something that further explains the whys of a disease, a solution to a problem or anything re: how our bodies function.

Hang in there. Look forward to more posts from you and welcome to BTD!!!! It's the place to be!

I will admit that there are times - in the back of my mind - that I question some of the changes I've made in my following the BTD diet - not with the type/quality of food, but more with the quantity (mainly the large intake of meat. . . reading the reply that the grain-fed meat without growth hormones is more beneficial helped a lot - thank-you! That's all I buy now!).

Grass-fed beef is even better than grain-fed. It is expensive, though, if you have to mail order it. I ordered a huge amount and take some out of the freezer every now and then. I also buy only grain-fed, natural beef when I shop at the grocery store. Luckily, in my area it's very inexpensive, often less than the regular beef.

mlpaul,In so many ways I feel where you are coming from. As a nurse, I have encountered a few fellow health care people who tell me that the BTD is nuts! or stupid! (these are usually obeese individuals, who think good nutrition is a bag of cheetos) I was introduced to the BTD from a good friend that owns a health food store in my hometown. I didn't really understand the science behind it when I first read the book & I still really don't. (Remember us " mainstream" health care people maybe get a 3 month class on nutrition if we are lucky & it mostly covers the chemistry of carbs, protiens, & fats & tube feeds/enternal feeds)Although I am still struggling to get "lethicins, secreting.....ect" when my friend explained what foods, I the A postive was to eat, it all made a lot of sense. At the time I was following Dr. Neal Benards program, which is pretty much a vegan diet. Great for an A, but why the bladder infections from OJ? Why the acid reflux & vommiting from spagetti with red sauce? I was a pretty healthy veg but, I did love salmon & fish. Why did I have to give that up according to Dr. Benard? Salmon is so wonderful for you? (the wild kind that is)

I guess what I am trying to say is, I too have had my trepidations about the BTD but, it always makes the most sense by watching how my body responds to food. Good luck to you, I hope you find the support & answers you are seeking.

The ONLY place you will find success before work is in the dictionary.-Mary B. SmithHappy to Be in Love with and married to another A + Avery is my Awesome little A!

I remember reading Barry Sears with rapt attention when his books came out. Same thing with Andrew Weil. One of the main problems with these two authors (for me) is, they both don't have a clinical practice. They don't see patients.

When I read ER4YT, it made perfect sense to me. I can't wait for The GenoType Diet, because it will include all of Dr. D's research since Live Right.

Every other informative book out there on diet and wellness, does not address us as individuals. There might be generalities, but they do not take into account our genetic make up. Each one of us is different because of those genes. Consequently, our diet needs to be tailored to our genetic profile.

A suit off the rack may fit so-so, but a suit tailor made for your body will enhance how you look and feel, inside and out.

The BTD is the only plan that takes into account your individuality. That in and of itself shows it is way above any other plan by leaps and bounds. No other plan takes this into account. None.

I also recommend looking into the Data Bases of self reporting outcomes to see what a large percentage of individuals reported improvement in a bodily system after just a short period of time.

Knowledge is power. SWAMI gives you the diet that will unlock the key to better health, and it's all based on your unique individuality.

Well, it's the grain-fed that's less. It's Harris Ranch. The grass-fed beef that I got is from Americangrassfedbeef.com. It's ok, not the best tasting stuff. I grind the chuck roasts and we like that in burgers. The roasts are too tough to eat as a roast beef. I still don't know what to do with the shoulder roasts, they are very tough and veiny, not even good in the crockpot for a couple of days. Stick with the chuck, I guess.

. . . What if the short term effects are beneficial, but a lot of it due to just giving up on processed food especially sugar, but the long term effects cannot be seen until they are difficult to treat such as too high iron levels in a high beef diet? Who has been eatring this way for a long time (5 years +) and who has gained full health starting from chronic sickness?

Brenda, this is a very reasonable question, and it might make for an interesting thread, if you cared to start one with a question like this one.

Normal day, let me be aware of the treasure you are.Let me not pass you by in quest of some rare and perfect tomorrow.~Mary Jean Irion

Thanks for the responses to my post, and for the reasurances about health problems going on a high protein diet.

Yes of course it is right that we cannot have a diet that suits all, and we must know our own bodies and most of what I have read about the diet makes sense, but I am still left with the thought that a high animal protein diet goes against 100% of complimentary and conventional medicines' dietary advice. Granted that we must take responsibility ourselves for what we decide to eat, but considering all of the alternative advice, one is taking a chance here long term I think. We cannot see what is going on inside and I read a post on another thread that said that there was a problem with high iron levels. This is the sort of thing that concerns me.

Yes in the past, when there were no convenience foods, people had to eat simply, and a diet of meat and vegetables was the general fare, (was it?) but we cannot recreate the purity of the foods they ate, or be in the same chemical free environment. Maybe our bodies have changed and we cannot handle high animal protein any more? Long term that is. And if we cannot afford to buy the best meat, where does that leave us?

I just do not like going into things 100% without being sure and because of the alternative advice, which is extremely in opposition, and the health problems noted with the Atkins diet, I would really like to have my mind put at rest more.